Basically, Reddit user l3mon_aid is saying that the joke is actually about the chicken killing himself.

The chicken crossed the road because he wanted to die. Because in crossing the road he got hit by a car, and in so doing made it to... the other side. AKA the afterlife. He crossed over. Into the afterlife. Into death.

The chicken-crossing-the-road joke is maybe actually super dark and fucked up, you guys.

OR IS IT? Other commenters argued that the joke is not anywhere near as morbid as all that. That it's just a dumb non-joke: The chicken crossed the road to get to the other side. Of the road. The same reason anyone would cross a road.

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Which is how I've always kind of thought of the joke my whole life, anyway. So that makes sense, too.

But now I can't stop thinking about the dark and depressing chicken-crossing-the-road joke. What if that's actually what the joke is really about?

Crackerclips / Getty Images

BRB having an existential crisis.

What do you think? Why did the chicken cross that road?

Correct

Incorrect

To get to the other side, because I'm not a monster and not everything has to be so dark and complicated.

Correct

Incorrect

To die.

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What do you think? Why did the chicken cross that road?

votevotes

To get to the other side, because I'm not a monster and not everything has to be so dark and complicated.